Gary Hart: “Back in Pennsylvania, most of our firefighters units are run by volunteers. As a State senator, I did my best to support…”

“Back in Pennsylvania, most of our firefighters units are run by volunteers. As a State senator, I did my best to support this proud community tradition, especially at times, like now, when the job is so demanding and the number of volunteers is declining. Firefighting, as we all know, is tough work. It is difficult to find qualified men and women who are willing to serve, whether it is as a volunteer back home, at the Harrison Hills Volunteer Fire House in Natrona Heights, Pennsylvania, or as a member of the Federal firefighters who do everything from protecting military bases to responding to national emergencies, such as the Oklahoma City bombing. I was surprised to learn that Federal law actually prevents many seasoned and capable firefighters from staying on the job, even if they wish to. Maybe it is my Pennsylvania perspective, but I believe that we should support our firefighters, not force them into retirement when their experience can still be put to great and even critical use. To me, that means we should ensure our laws give firefighters more authority to decide for themselves how long they can work safely and effectively, and when they should retire. That is why I rise today in support of H.R. 93. The bill would prevent these able-bodied, experienced firefighters from being forced to retire before they wanted to by raising that retirement age to the age of 57.”